Hellz naw, man. Hence, my flower themed contribution.
Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
Happy Lupercalia!
So how did a Roman Catholic Saint, of all people, come to be associated with the holiday intended for the expression of intense physical love? Good question.
Like many modern holidays (I'm looking at you, Xmas), what we celebrate today is just a patch early christians threw on over pre-existing pagan rituals (Saturnalia, anyone?). That explains why, say, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with eggs and bunnies-- the christian element was overlaid on a pre-existing springtime fertility ritual.
St. Valentine's day is a similar case. Nobody is sure which St Valentine we're celebrating exactly (there were at least three) but his day is an overlay of the ancient Greco-Roman festival of Lupercalia, in which was celebrated both the holy marriage of Zeus (Jove) and Hera (Juno), as well as in Rome the founding of their city (Romulus, Remus, wolves, "Lupe"-- it's all connected). There was all sorts of courting between young folks of both sexes, and it was generally very frolicky. Lupercalia was a very, very ancient festival, and it had replaced (more absorbed, really) an even more ancient one, Februa, which, you may guess, is where we get teh name for the month of February. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
My drawing is the sacred couple themselves, Zeus and Hera, in embrace, and just to keep this thing nominally on topic, there is also a water lilly, one of Hera's sacred flowers.
Like many modern holidays (I'm looking at you, Xmas), what we celebrate today is just a patch early christians threw on over pre-existing pagan rituals (Saturnalia, anyone?). That explains why, say, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with eggs and bunnies-- the christian element was overlaid on a pre-existing springtime fertility ritual.
St. Valentine's day is a similar case. Nobody is sure which St Valentine we're celebrating exactly (there were at least three) but his day is an overlay of the ancient Greco-Roman festival of Lupercalia, in which was celebrated both the holy marriage of Zeus (Jove) and Hera (Juno), as well as in Rome the founding of their city (Romulus, Remus, wolves, "Lupe"-- it's all connected). There was all sorts of courting between young folks of both sexes, and it was generally very frolicky. Lupercalia was a very, very ancient festival, and it had replaced (more absorbed, really) an even more ancient one, Februa, which, you may guess, is where we get teh name for the month of February. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
My drawing is the sacred couple themselves, Zeus and Hera, in embrace, and just to keep this thing nominally on topic, there is also a water lilly, one of Hera's sacred flowers.
Corto Maltese & Daffodils
Flowers- Poison Ivy, Batman
Personally I am indifferent to the Feb
14th holiday, but we decided to do something
at least related to it here at Drawbridge.
Thus, Flowers:
14th holiday, but we decided to do something
at least related to it here at Drawbridge.
Thus, Flowers:
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